The Antitrust Authority (AGCM) – what we are used to calling “Antitrust” – has announced sanctions of 10 million euros for HP, the multinational IT products company, for “deceptive and aggressive practices”.
HP produces printers and cartridges, as well as software for computers, and according to the AGCM for some years “has introduced significant restrictions on the use of non-original ink / toner cartridges in many inkjet and laser printers sold to consumers”. HP printers accept genuine cartridges and refuse to print when they recognize those that are “not original or manufactured before a certain date”. The AGCM sanctioned HP for not having adequately informed consumers of this limitation, “leading them to believe that they must replace non-original ink / toner cartridges due to deficiencies or defects in the latter and therefore to use only original HP cartridges”.
From the notification of the action, HP has 60 days to submit initiatives to bring it back into compliance and 120 days to change the packaging in which the printers are sold to report restrictions on the use of cartridges.
